The Hi-Res Point of View That's Reigniting Student Curiosity

When does curiosity begin to fade? Is it just a part of growing up, or is our education system optimized for qualities other than curiosity and creativity? One of the greatest joys I've had as a new father is experiencing the world through the eyes of my 2-year-old, Trevor. He is, like most kids his age, intensely curious. On our many trips to the beach, Trevor is always stopping and pointing to a leaf, a snail, or turning over a rock to watch the crabs scurry away—things that I wouldn't typically stop and look at. When I crouch down to see things from his level I realize how amazing all of this life and diversity is. I am not sure when (or how) we lose the kind of curiosity Trevor has, but I'm determined to do something about it.

We've done a lot of listening to teachers, students, and key stakeholders as we've worked to bring this device to life, and we used that feedback to develop it, but now we're working to improve the student experience of using it. To that end, we've launched a Kickstarter geared toward getting 40 of our cameras into K-12 classrooms. That'll help us learn what helps students and teachers make the kind of connection with the natural world where it just stops you in your tracks and all you can say is, "Wow!"—just like my son on the beach.

One area we are especially interested in is accessibility. In the very first in-class demo we tried at Seattle's Cleveland High School, a student with cerebral palsy approached us. She was intensely curious, but had never been able to participate in microscopy because of the fine motor control required. Once the image was captured on the iPad, she was able to explore in a way previously unavailable to her. We opened a door that had been shut to her, and she beamed with pride after circling the eye of the mosquito larvae on the screen and emailing it to her teacher. It was inspiring and moving for us—these are exactly the connections we want to help create. That's why one of the first recipients for our Kickstarter is Project DO-IT at the University of Washington, which helps prepare high school students with accessibility issues for college.

As an engineer, I know first-hand the power of scientific thinking. You don't have to be a scientist to think like one. If we can help teachers combine kids' innate curiosity with systems and tools that empower them, we'll know we're making a dent in the universe.